Our camping trip to the City of Rocks

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!

Happy birthday to the best Nana ever! I love you mom. You are strong and courageous, beautiful and smart, and the best mom and Nana I could ever ask for. I am so proud to call you MY MOM! I hope you have an enjoyable, restful birthday.

Love you!

Happy 4th of July!

We started the day with breakfast with our ward, and a parade for all the kids on their bikes. Brycen wanted to get in on the action and did his best to keep up with Ava as she zoomed past, riding her PINK bike, training wheels and streamers all a flutter. Later we joined the Oakes at their house and bid farewell to all the boys as they left for a game of golf. We left soon after to Wahooz Fun Center for, well... FUN! We had a blast with mini golf, bumper boats, laser tag, and go-carts! Vroom! Ava and Brycen also played arcade games and climbed all over a kid zone play gym.

The Before...



and the After!


I tried to scizzor cut his hair at first, but he didn't want me anywhere near him. So we resorted to the electric clippers. These weren't much better, but Drew was able to pin him down long enough to get the job done. So Handsome!

Summer Fun! - Finally!

I love to watch my kids play outside in this gorgeous weather, and play like they have just arrived at a fabulous water park. Ava seems very pleased with herself in this first picture, (since it took forever to get these goggles on in the first place), and Brycen looks like he's thinking, "You look weird!"



Brycen loves strawberries - as is apparent by the berry goo all over his face! He's such a happy boy.

Revette Lake Hike Part II.....without the snow!!

Matt and I went backpacking again this year and thankfully there wasn't snow on the ground this time!

Beautiful mountain lake!

We had fun hiking with Kya pulling us all the way!

By the end she was one dirty dog...but she had fun!

My baby's growing up!

On Monday, we went to the water park and got all sweaty playing outside. So, I got the boys home a little early and gave them a cool bath before lunch and naps, dressing Jacob in a big shirt for pjs. During their naps I was teaching my voice lesson, when low and behold, here comes Jacob out of his room wearing his Lightning McQueen t-shirt and a pair of shorts--they even matched! I couldn't believe it. Of course he proceeds to inform me with a big smile, "Mommy, I get my clothes on all by my self!" He's been working on dressing himself for some time now, but has never done it independently-- until now! He loves to pick out his own clothes now. "I do it all by myself!" is a happy proud statement he has been making regularly lately.:) He is getting so big! And... I'm not holding my breath... but, on the potty front, he has been dry for almost 2 days now.:):) Of course, I still have to remind him to go, but I think something is starting to click for him. Yay!

Jakey-Talk

Jason sent me this in an email this morning and I thought it was definitely worth posting:

Here's something to make you laugh. A few weeks ago I was putting Jacob to bed and this was our conversation.

Jacob: Dad, I smell something.
Dad: What do you smell?
Jacob: You.
Dad: Do I smell good or bad?
Jacob: Bad.

Can't beat honesty, right? Either way, he still hugged me!

A Rowley Rig

SO, after realizing that our truck was going to keep needing work and more things were starting to not work very well, we gave it some thought and decided to trade in our falling-apart expedition for a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel truck! We got a great deal and we're so excited that we got something more reliable that should last for a looong time and we're very happy with it! Jayson is LOVING it! Of course, as a Rowley boy he loves his trucks and he has always wanted a diesel and now he has one. It's easy for me to drive and the kids fit great in the back with room for one more up front with us (for in the future of course...) and it's been great! The boys LOVE it and every time we get in to go somewhere they say many times how much they love the new truck. We caught Tucker just staring at it out the window this morning for the longest time! They also love the "small-ish" doors and have fun getting in and buckling up to go for a ride in the cool truck. They're just like their dad!
We're definitely enjoying this Rowley Rig!

Happy Father's Day!

Just want to say Happy Father's Day to all of these amazing dads! You are all so special and make our family better by being a part of it. Thank you all for what you do for the Meyers family and for your own families as you provide and protect and teach and play and do all the wonderful things that make you so great! It's the best to have such awesome men leading our families!

Speaking on behalf of all the sisters, we love you Daddy! Happy Father's Day!
And to our sweet husbands, Happy Father's Day to you all!!
Thanks guys for all you do!!

WE LOVE YOU!! =)

Congratulations !!

JAYSON T ROWLEY

Type: JP-Journeyman Plumber
License/Registration No. 9426JP
Status: Active

Jakey-Talk

On Monday I had a meeting with some people for the live Nativity our stake is putting on this December. One of the ladies there was playing with him and trying to get him to try some snap peas we were all snacking on. After bribes like, "It tastes like apples!" and "It's rabbit candy!" failed, she began to ask him, "Jacob, who makes a pea?" At first he responded with a bunch of "I don't know," but after she persisted, he answered, "A plant!" Pretty good--I'm beaming!:) But that wasn't the answer she was looking for. She pressed on, "Who makes a pea?" Jacob thinks and thinks... "Joseph?" ... getting closer, I'm sure she was looking for "Jesus" as the answer. She tries one more time, "No, I think Joseph was a carpenter, he didn't make a pea. Who makes a pea?" Jacob thought hard one more time.... "Shannon?" (his aunt! haha!)

Oh well, it was a nice try Jacob.:) We'll have to talk about the Creation next time we have Family Home Evening.:)

So yesterday I was driving in the car with the boys and Jacob says, "I love your clothes mommy!" Very sweet with the compliment Jake! I responded, "Do you know what I love the very best?" I expected to him to say "what?" and then I'd say something along the lines of "Jacob's hugs." But in classic Jacob style he chimed right in and answered, "You love me! And you love Daddy!" Yes, I do. :)

Happy Birthday Ava!

Sorry - a little late - but still... Oh soo CUTE!

Happy Birthday Tuck-man!!

Tucker turned four years old today!! He's been waiting aaaall year and June 12th finally came! We had a lot of fun today! Daddy took Tucker out to lunch and then to the store to pick out a toy. He came home with Woody and Bullseye and went straight to playing playing. For dinner we went to the Out of This World Pizza and Play place. It was so great to have lots of family there to celebrate with us and we all enjoyed yummy pizza and crazy kids running everywhere having a blast! It was so great. After that we headed up to the Rowley's for presents and cake! Tucker made out with lots of Batman, Spiderman, and Toy Story loot and lots of fun outdoor toys and sporty toys and cool clothes and he loves it all! I made him a Batman cake and we all enjoyed the fun. As soon as we got home Tucker was in his new Batman jammies - complete with awesome cape. His mask made it that much more cool. All around it was a really fun birthday!

Happy Birthday to our big four-year-old!!

Dirt, Teeth, Dog,.... WHA????

So much has happened since my last post, so here are some updates:

Braden has no fear! Maybe it's the helmet, but this kid just bounces when he falls down, no problem. He also loves to be tossed in the air--something Jacob never liked. He has the cutest giggle. I'm always calling him my happy guy, because that's who he is.:)

Lately I've noticed, Jacob loves to talk. He's been a talker from day one, but now he can and does pretty much say anything. I have to be very careful about what I say around him. (We're trying to keep him from saying things like "oh crap" and "whatever mommy" but first I need to stop saying them....oops!) He repeats the directions of the GPS and whenever we drive in the car he talks to the other drivers--"Come onnnn!" "That car's just bein' weird!" He talks to anyone and everyone, often starting with, "What's your name?" or if the person is too far away he'll ask me, "What's that name?" and then followed by a description of what he wants for his birthday-- he knows it's coming up on "July 30th." He also likes to talk at the dinner table. If Jason and I are trying to have a conversation he gets mad when he's left out and we are constantly telling him "stop talking and eat your food!" .....wait a minute, that sounds familiar. hmmmm.... well at least he comes by it honestly.

Now on to the pictures! Honestly, this is the longest post ever!:)

Jacob and Jason went on their first official Father-Sons Campout! Jacob had SOO much fun roasting marshmallows, eating licorice, and getting dirty. When he got home the next morning, he literally had a dirt goatee! Notice the licorice under his foot--this is where he decided to hold it so he could have both hands on his marshmallow stick. That's my boy!



Since I last posted, Braden has been making some amazing strides...literally. First off, after what felt like a month of insomnia, he is now the proud owner of two sharp little teeth. Cheese!



And now... drum roll please... he is starting to pull himself up on the furniture and attempt walking. YIKES! It won't be long now! He's only 9 months old folks-- again, yikes! :) He gets sooo excited and pleased with himself when he does it too. Adorable!



BUSTED! ha!



Couldn't resist the bath pict--haha! Braden and Jacob LOVE splashing in the bathtub together.



And, last but not least, our dog. Her name is Ruby, she is 8 weeks old in this picture--almost 10 weeks now, and she is a hungarian vizsla. Plusses for her breed: she doesn't shed, doesn't stink, very smart, very social and loyal, good with kids, and bred specifically for falconry hunting. Minuses for her breed: high energy--Jason has been waking up faithfully at 5am every morning to take her out! :) She's a beautiful dog and so far things are going really well and we're enjoying her. She's very sweet and very smart. Housebreaking is going amazingly well, with no accidents for almost a week now! woohoo! Braden has no fear and loves grabbing her, crawling on her, stealing toyes, etc., to which she's pretty tolerant. Jacob has been slower warming up to her, but now enjoys throwing her toys and playing fetch.

Asleep inside her crate on the first day--awwww! For those with dogs, I love crate training! It's the only way to go!

haha! For some reason she really likes Braden's baby seat.

Pals?... or competitors? I'm not sure which sometimes. It's funny to watch these two! :)

The Name of the Game

I could not resist this one...

Jack Webb says it all...

Latter Day Love

A couple of weeks ago I was in Dallas for a Xerox merger seminar and being like the Roman soldier who never comes to Rome, (it's been 3 years) I was delighted to have a chance to visit Molly Meyers Kuhn and Cory, along with their sweet kids - Judah and Hannah. I brought them 4 puff ball guns and we had a fun time shooting each other with Pom-Pom balls and terrorizing their cat. Of course I didn't tell airport security they were guns...I mean ...after all.... ;o)..

Just yesterday, I found out that Cory maintains a Mission Blog and found that he had written a very nice article in there about my visit. I was thrilled to finally break the ice with him and Molly, leave a blessing in their home before I left and take them out for sushi the night before I left for home.
Yes, that's Molly eating the quick fried head and torso of a fresh sweet shrimp that was alive swimming in the tank just minutes before they served the tail fresh and sweet to our table.
Sushi's great! and this was a fun evening to spend with my Niece and Nephew. Just hoping I don't have to wait another 3 years before I get a free trip back to Texas.

If you have time...go visit Cory's mission blog. It really gives you an interesting perspective of the closeness we share with so many people if we can just get past the contention of who's right. We are all right when it comes to loving each other and Jesus Christ. If we can just begin with what we have in common the rest will take care of itself on Heavenly Father's schedule with the help of the Holy Spirit.

http://www.livethemission.org/blog/latter-day-love/

Cory is currently unemployed and trying to begin his own church with the help of others and a well designed web page. I wish them all the blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for them and truly hope they find joy and security in their pursuits.

Havin' fun shootin' guns

Last weekend we so enjoyed spending time together as a family! Jayson is finally done with his finals and he now just looks forward to his journeyman license exam coming up. It's so great that he's finally done! For his graduation gift he got a Ruger 10/22 rifle with ammo, a case and a cleaning kit. Of course he had to go try it out! On Saturday we went with Shane's family and Kim and Karen up to Brown's camp for a day camping trip. We got there around 1:30 and settled in while the kids explored and played with dirt, rocks and sticks. Not too far from where we set up camp is a place to shoot so we all headed there and set up the targets and had some fun! Kim brought his 22 rifle and Jayson had his new 22 and his 357 mag revolver. Shane brought his pistol and his AR-15 and we all had a blast! The kids loved climbing up and down the hills and throwing rocks and playing in the dirt. All the adults took turns shooting all the guns. Jett got to shoot the 22 for the first time! At dinner time we went back to camp and built up a big fire and enjoyed chili, hotdogs, s'mores and good company. Shane and Jayson set up some cans and logs for some more shooting and Shane got out the AR-15. We went home when it started getting dark and the kids were tired and ready to go to bed. It was so fun to go shooting and I'm sure we'll go out some more if the weather ever decides to dry out and get sunny! =)

Handsome boys.

Jayson with his new Ruger 10/22 rifle - tons of fun!

The kids, esp. Jett, loved climbing up and down this hill!

Of course the kids swarm when Grandma breaks out the fruit snacks!

Dallas loved being outside in the dirt! He wandered all over the place and had a lot of fun with the rocks, sticks and dirt!

Jett shooting the 22!

The run-n-gun guys

Shane with his AR

It's so fun to shoot big guns!